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After a 24-year absence, IndyCar racing will return to the 2.5-mile triangular track in Long Pond on July 7. The race will be a 400-mile event and it will be televised on ABC-TV.

"My hat's off to (Pocono president) Brandon (Igdalsky) and his whole team up there," Bernard said. "They really worked hard and did a lot of research to make sure there was a fan following up there. They were actually very surprised by how big the response was for it. So we're expecting big things at Pocono.

"It definitely is a commitment from them, and we're going to see it there for at least three years."

Bernard will attend a press conference at Pocono this morning to further discuss the series' return to the track. Mario Andretti is also scheduled to attend as well as driver Ed Carpenter, who won this season's final race at Fontana, Calif., two weeks ago.

IndyCar coming back to Pocono also means the return of the Triple Crown, which will consist of the Indianapolis 500 on May 26, the race at Pocono and the finale at Fontana on Oct. 19. A $1 million bonus will go to the driver who can win all three races. A driver who wins two of those three races will receive $250,000.

From 1971 to 1980, the Triple Crown consisted of the three 500-mile races at Indianapolis, Pocono and Ontario, Calif. After Ontario closed, it was replaced by Michigan in the Triple Crown until 1989 -- the final year IndyCar competed at Pocono.

During that time, one driver - Al Unser in 1978 - was able to win all three races. Four drivers - Johnny Rutherford (1974), A.J. Foyt (1975), Bobby Unser (1980) and Gordon Johncock (1982) - won two of the three races.

Pocono, along with Houston, is one of two new venues on the 19-race schedule for 2013 and one of five oval tracks.

The season begins March 24 in St. Petersburg, Fla. There are also three doubleheader races on the schedule: June 1-2 at Detroit, July 13-14 at Toronto and Oct. 5-6 at Houston.

"Our whole goal (with the doubleheaders) is to help our team owners, our sponsors, our television partners and just build an exposure that is so important to us right now," Bernard said. "We think the fan is going to be the one to really gain on this. They get to see double excitement in that weekend. There will be twice as much action."

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